A Change Of Heart
by ExistInspire
Summary: A routine part of the job becomes so much more for one of the WWE's finest. How will he cope when it hits a little too close to home and to heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, places and incidents are the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental or used for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Character List:** Shawn Michaels, and Triple H, as well as the Original Character of Cailyn Morrison.

**Summary:** A routine part of the job becomes so much more for one of the WWE's finest. How will he cope when it hits a little too close to home and to heart?

**Authors Notes:** While I am still currently working on three other fictions, this one is a new one based on some inspiration that I found this morning. Reviews are wonderful and appreciated but are not mandatory by any means. Just having it read is enough. Enjoy as always :)

* * *

One of the necessary jobs when working within the WWE is the time spent with children that may not live to see the next pay per view and who adore you so much it is their last wish that they meet you. Each and every one of the Superstars on the WWE roster knows this and actually looks forward to it. Putting a smile on a fans face, even for just a few minutes means that the job they do is done right and it puts a higher note on their career choice at the end of the day.

So it was no wonder that when Shawn was called and told to attend another meeting regarding a sick child that he would be seeing, he was actually looking forward to it. This was the part of the job that hurt him the most because he wanted to do so much more for the child but at the same time, made him the most happiest.

He could really be himself with these kids and he took great pride in it. Having children of his own and then his deep seated faith meant that he understood what these parents felt and knew that if roles were reversed, he would be doing whatever it took to make his kids feel their most comfortable before their time was up.

The real truth was that not a whole lot of these kids lasted past their next birthday, and even for some, meeting the wrestlers was like the one last thing they had to do before they died. This time was no different, only that he was being briefed on it before hand, which was hardly ever done.

So knowing about this going in made it easier for Shawn. He made his way past the secretary, who just smiled politely at him as he passed through and she motioned that he could just go ahead on in the board room. Which he took full advantage of.

"Shawn, so nice of you to join us. We were just going over with Ms. Morrison here when the best time to visit her daughter would be. Have a seat and maybe you can give us a better look at your own personal schedule."

As he took the seat that Stephanie had motioned to him to take he pulled his schedule out of his pocket. Ever since he had his children, whether he was with their mother or not, he always kept days open and days blocked off so that he knew just what he had planned ahead of time. As it turned out, it helped the company because it made it easier for them to book events for him in the interim.

"Here you go. I've got a full week off coming up where I do not have anything planned. If it matches with what you all have then I am sure we can sort something out rather quickly."

This was the only part he hated. If he had a choice in the matter he would do away with these meeting and planning times. The last thing the kid he was visiting needed was to know that he was just another notch on a calender. Shawn preferred to keep it simple and just make the kids feel special. It was just a thing that he did now that he had his own kids. It was all about letting them know that there was no fear and it was okay to be sick.

As the mother of the child in question looked over his agenda for the coming months, she nodded her head a few times and motioned to Stephanie to show her days she thought might work for her own schedule. Shawn took a moment to watch her and what he saw told him a lot about the type of mother she was or what he assumed she would be.

She seemed to smile a lot, which meant that as much as it was tearing her up inside having a sickly child, she didn't let it show as much as most parents did. It meant that for the sake of her daughter she would do anything she could and do it with a smile on her face. He had to admit that after dealing with many a parent in this instance, that kind of response was usually never the case. Usually on the face of a parent, they always looked worn and tired as if they knew the end was coming and just couldn't handle it anymore.

He felt for each and every one of them but with this woman he was sure that he wouldn't convey that to her. She seemed stronger then most in that sense and he felt that showing her how badly he felt for her and for her family, that it would just end up making things more tense then relaxed. Something he just didn't want to do.

She wore her hair short, cropped around her shoulders, business like to a degree. She was dressed in a dark blue business suit which meant that when she wasn't with her daughter in the sick times, she was something to someone in the business world. He had to admit that he admired a woman who could clean up nicely and wear different hats so to speak for the different areas of their lives. He had been brought up with a mother who was always there, but who had always looked pretty much the same. Times had changed since then and watching this woman now, he was sure of that more then anything.

As the two women talked at the boardroom table, Shawn felt the need to interject. "How old is your daughter Ma'am?"

The woman looked up and the minute she did, Shawn was hit with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Given that his eyes were blue and a lot of people he worked with had the same eyes, he shouldn't be surprised at them but hers were different. They looked almost like delicate crystal. Piercing too he took note of as she stared straight at him.

"She is five. Her name is Langston."

Shawn nodded, content that she answered him and also gave him just a bit more information. He found there were a lot of questions he had that Stephanie obviously hadn't gotten around to telling him about so he decided there was no better time then now, given that he had the womans attention.

"What is her illness?" He always hated asking this one because it always seemed like he was acting as if someone was lying. He knew the little girl was sick otherwise they would have been notified of a scam but it didn't make asking the question any easier for him or the parents. Of which right now there was only one.

"She has a severe case of bone cancer. The medical name for it is Ewing's sarcoma. It is going through her entire body as we speak. From the day she was born I knew she was special and different but I never expected this." The woman said, pulling a tissue from her pocket and dabbing lightly at her eyes as Shawn watched on, partially mortified that he had caused this woman to relive it all over again.

Shawn leaned back in his chair now, certain that the next time he opened his mouth it would be to answer questions not to ask them. He had enough experience dealing with parents of sick children but right now, he felt horrible. Like he didn't know anything and was a first timer for the program that the WWE offered.

"Shawn, given your schedule, both with us and personally speaking, we find that the best day to have you visit is next week on Wednesday." Stephanie said, breaking the silence in the room and turning to face the WWE Superstar and ex Champion. They had a personal relationship outside of work, him being godfather to her daughter Aurora and best friend and brother to her husband Hunter. But right now, this was all about business, nothing more.

"That seems fine with me." Shawn agreed, until an idea hit him. What if he could do all of this sooner then that? Surely this woman would want to give her daughter anything she wanted and she obviously wanted to meet with Shawn before her time passed. What if Shawn did something on his own time, something where the WWE was not involved in any way?

Willing to go along with what the company wanted, he made a mental note to talk to the mother before this meeting was officially done. When he had the chance to do it away from Stephanie. He loved her like a sister but at the same time, he knew that if he wanted to do this for the little girl Langston Morrison, he had to do it with the mother only.

"Well since we are all in agreement, there really is nothing more to discuss. Ms. Morrison, thank you for coming in on such short notice to work with us."

The woman nodded, having put the tissue away and now all businesslike again. She stood from the chair and Shawn instantly moved out of her way to let her pass. He did not envy this mother and the job she had to do to keep her composure, which he had seen crack for himself today but he found that he wanted to do whatever he could for her.

He couldn't tell you where it came from but he knew that at the end of the day he had better run with it. If he could help one person out in this world then his job was well worth the money he was paid. Something told him though that this one time, it was more then just the job he had to do and more about wanting to do it for himself and for this young mother.

He followed her quickly but quietly out into the hallway and touched her arm lightly as she started to make her escape. As she turned around and Shawn got an even closer look at her, he felt his heart start to pound. She wasn't down right gorgeous, actually more on the plain jane side of things but it was obvious her beauty was there, at least for him.

"Yes Mr. Michaels? Is there something else?"

Shawn cleared his throat and worked the words out in his head before speaking again. "Off the record and away from the business end of how this works, what would you say if I used my personal time and made a special visit to Langston?"

Taken aback that he was even suggesting this, Cailyn had no idea what to say. It seemed like a really sweet thing to do on the surface but not really knowing a lot about the business end of the WWE, she worried there was more in this then just him trying to do the right thing. Surely this had to do with money.

"I can't offer you anything if you came to see Langston on your own Mr. Michaels. Other then maybe a home cooked meal. I am not exactly what you call rich."

Shawn shook his head and then took his hand into hers, realizing with instant clarity just how small it was when locked in his own. "Call me Shawn, and this has nothing to do with money. I work with the WWE and the Make a Wish foundation a lot of times a year, but something about you and your daughter tells me that maybe I need to step away from the company and do this for your little girl and for myself too."

Satisfied with his answer and partially thankful that she had been wrong about the money, she removed her hand from his and immediately put her hand into her purse, pulling out paper and a pencil. "Call me at this number when you want and we can set something up." She scribbled her number down and passed it right into Shawn's open hand. "And thank you. Mr., Shawn."

She turned then and left the building, leaving Shawn standing there with the young womans number in his hand. Looking down at the paper, smelling the scent immediately of her off the page, he knew that he had done the right thing. He also knew the first thing he was going to do when he flew home to Texas was to call her and make sure he went through with what he had just promised.

It was the right thing to do.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

He sat in front of the computer, the screen blaring its light at him. Staring at the screen and wondering just what he was supposed to do next, he did the only thing he could think of in this instance and picked up the phone and called his best friend. Surely if anyone knew how to work the Internet, it would be Hunter. It never failed to have someone who had to deal with website design in his back pocket because he had no idea how to get the information he craved.

"Hunter, its Shawn, look I need to look up something on the net, and I don't know the first thing on how do that." he stated as soon as his friend answered the phone, groggy and obviously sleep deprived. Such was the life of the important wrestler. Especially when you were essentially married into the first family of wrestling. Or the biggest at any rate.

"Oh you are kidding me right?" was Hunter's reply.

"No, You know I don't believe in going on the computer what with all the dirt sheets out there. It goes against my moral code. So are you going to tell me how to do this or not?"

Hunter laid out the instructions to him in long form order and Shawn felt like just turning the laptop off and going back to bed himself after hearing what he had to do. All he wanted to do was find the information about the young girls illness before going to see her and he had to deal with more pain then pleasure in getting there.

Sometimes it did not exactly pay to be a nice guy. Something he had learned a long time ago and had stopped caring about. But he knew that what he was about to undertake was important to not only him, but to the young girl Langston as well and he needed to do it, no matter how hard it looked on the surface.

But it didn't stop him from wishing death on all computers and the Internet. Surely this was more harm then it was good.

He followed Hunter's instructions to the letter and soon found himself at the site he was looking to find, where there was a detailed breakdown on what the illness was and how it had come about. As he began to read over the illness and how it was dealt with, and then the success rate though, he felt his stomach turning in sickening knots.

It was a hell of a lot worse then he had expected when he had gotten the news. This was actually an illness that could be saved, but then there was an even greater risk that the young girl would really die from it, and it was a painful one.

_Ewing sarcoma: a type of bone cancer that occurs most often in children and adolescents; most often in the large bones of the arms and legs and the flat bones of the pelvis, spine and ribs. The tumor is caused by a chromosome abnormality called a trans location. _

_Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common type of bone cancer in children and adolescents. The disease commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 20 and almost always before the age of 30. But it has been known in rare cases to affect children younger then this age bracket. It may spread to bones, to the lungs and bone marrow._

_Treatment is chemotherapy and radiation therapy._

_The overall survival rate of a person with Ewing's sarcoma is averaged at about 60._

Shawn stopped reading then and turned his head away from the screen. He thought back to the conversation that he had gone through with Langston's mother, the woman with the sharp blue eyes like crystal. He remembered her saying that the cancer had already spread through much of her body, including her lungs and so forth and it just made his heart sick. This young girl was one of a rare few that developed this illness earlier in life and now she was most likely going to die from it.

With a survival rate of sixty percent, Shawn wanted to believe that her chances were actually better then most but knowing that it had already spread the way it had, at the rate it had, well the hope he wanted to keep alive was slowly falling away. Now he knew that what he wanted to do was even more important.

Even more important was the fact that he had done what no other wrestler chose to do when they had to visit with children. He was going to go on his own time first, to see this girl and try and make a difference in her life, and also he was going in armed with the real truth of what she was really dealing with. Another thing that the WWE never really told their superstars about.

To his company, it was all about the bottom line, making sure they did what they were supposed to and trying not to get close to the kids.

Shawn wanted to be different and different he planned on being. He was going to set the standard for what he believed the superstars should be doing in these cases and if he had to use Langston to do it, then so be it. Maybe between the two of them, they really could do something small to change the world, one person at a time.

As he got up from the computer, closing down the information window, he prayed that in the end that would be the case. Because the world was getting worse and it only took a few people to make a difference and Shawn really hoped in this case he could be one of them.

* * *

"Mom, how did the meeting go?" Langston asked, trying to sit up in the hospital bed, but finding the leads coming from her body getting in the way. As she went to grab at one of them, the stray one that kept getting in her way, her mother jumped up and was right there beside her, moving it for her.

If she wasn't so tired from the medications and the therapy she had been going through, she would yell at her but she knew that at the end of the day she needed her mother there with her. She couldn't really do this alone, not at her age.

People always said that even though she was five, and so young in life she seemed like an old soul and she actually agreed with them. She had been fighting this illness for as long as she could remember and she hadn't backed down or showed any weakness once. She also threw all of her attention into watching the WWE, the only thing her mother would give in on, and watching one man in particular.

Shawn Michaels had always been her favorite, her entire life she had wanted to meet this man. Just once. All she wanted to tell him was that she appreciated the fact that he put his family first and his kids being a big part of that. She admired him for being the man he was now. Her mother had told her as much as she could about the man known as Shawn Michaels and it made her love him even more.

Langston didn't have a father, he had taken off after the first round of tests on his daughter. Her mother tried to put it out of her own mind, trying to make Langston do the same, but deep down she knew that her father couldn't handle being a father to a terminally ill child. She didn't fault him for it but she knew it. She just never told her mother that she knew. She knew her mother had enough on her plate.

Which of course right now was dealing with the WWE. They were going to allow Shawn Michaels to come and see her. She wanted to be extra excited to finally meet her idol but the reasoning behind the meeting made it that much more bittersweet.

She was dying. This was going to be her one wish before she passed on. Meeting the man that had given her the strength to keep fighting.

"The meeting went fine honey. I got to meet Mr. Michaels and he is just the way he is on television. Well minus the funny part. He genuinely seems to care about coming to see you. So much so that we talked after the meeting was over and he is going to come and visit you on some of his downtime."

Langston perked up then, hearing what her mother had said last and seemingly shocked by it. Could it really be that he was the same nice man she assumed he was and he really wanted to see her without the WWE there with him? Was there really a man that good hearted out there?

"Really mom? He said that?"

"Yes honey. I am going to go home for a quick minute after the next treatment and check the messages. He said he was going to call to set something up and I want to make sure that I am there should he want to do it sooner then next week with the WWE."

"Mom you need to go home!" The little girl, who seemed to have aged considerably since the cancer had come, shouted at her mother. If this was a chance to meet Shawn Michaels and have it none revolve around the fact that she was dying, there was no way she wanted her mother to miss that call. She needed to be home until the man called.

"Baby, you know I can't leave you when you have to go through your radiation treatment. It always gives you a lot of pain and I need to be here to help you with it."

Langston frowned. She wanted this more then the stupid radiation and she had to find a way to make her mother see that.

"Go home Mom, I can handle this."

"Are you sure honey?" her mother asked, almost shocked that her daughter was practically kicking her out. She was always acting older then her small age, but this was beyond Cailyn's comprehension. She really didn't feel right about leaving her baby to go through anything on her own. She always felt better knowing that at the end of the day, she was there for whatever Langston needed. She didn't want that to change now.

"Go Mom and the next time you come back, I want to know when Shawn is going to come."

Langston smiled then and Cailyn's heart melted into her chest. There were few times that Langston really smiled anymore, given the sickness running through her body and the pain that it entailed but seeing the smile now, make Cailyn that much more sure that what she wanted was the right thing.

She would do this for her daughter and when it was all said and done, her daughter would fight harder for the chance to have just a few more months on this Earth. Even more so, a few more months to watch Shawn Michaels wrestle. That was all that mattered right now. Giving Langston the one thing she needed all this time.

Hope.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

_You should be back at the hospital with Langston instead of waiting for a phone call that may never come._

As Cailyn went from pacing the floors to sitting down and tapping her feet awaiting the call she had been told to expect, she let her mind take over and it always came back to the same place. Despite her daughters need to have her in the home so that Shawn Michaels call wouldn't go unanswered, she knew that leaving might mean that her daughter would go through the pain of her tests on her own. Something she hadn't had to do in the entire time since she had been hospitalized.

The doctors of course were telling her that with more radiation and other therapies that Langston had a good chance of living to see her next birthday, but she knew they were only trying to placate her in the end. Langston had been getting worse, daily visits to the hospital when she wasn't working told her that much and she knew it was only a matter of time before she got word that there was no more time left.

She had struggled for years knowing that at any time, her daughters ticket to life could be up. She had been a miracle baby, that was sure and Cailyn couldn't help but hope that someone upstairs in Heaven had heard her prayers and would turn around time so that Langston could live for the rest of her life. At the very least, live long enough to see true happiness. Something that had always seemed to elude the both of them.

A knock sounded out then, breaking her from her thoughts. Not realizing at first that it was the front door and not the telephone, she picked it up and listened. When the knock came again, a tad louder this time, more drawn out even, she put the phone down and couldn't help but blush. She wanted this so badly for her daughter that it had finally taken her alive. She was now officially losing her mind.

If she admitted it to herself, she was also eager to hear from Shawn after having dealt with him in the meeting and then with what happened afterward. She had met a lot of different people over the years through the Make a Wish foundation and in the end none of them seemed so willing to help as Shawn had. There was something about this man, something she couldn't quite put her finger on but she found that she wanted to see more of it. Even if it was for only a short time.

Having someone that positive in her life, and in her daughters life could only spell good things and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Cailyn really wanted something good to happen in her life. She had been through enough bad news for a lifetime.

She made her way to the door as yet another knock sounded and when she pulled it open, was taken aback by who was standing there on her doorstep. The last person she had expected to show up at her home. She opened her mouth to say something along the lines of a hello but realized that her lungs seemed to have been worn out. Funny since she hadn't done anything immediately damaging to them.

If she didn't know any better, she would think she was actually happy to see the man now.

"I know this is completely out of the ordinary but instead of making an impersonal phone call, I thought it might be better if I came by and we ironed out some details so that I can get in to see Langston as soon as possible. Preferably without the cameras following our every move. It makes it so much less fun that way don't you think?"

She smiled and moved out of the way of the door, motioning with her hand that he should come in and make himself at home. Her voice still seemingly broken, she hoped he understood what she was getting at. If he didn't then they were both out of luck.

As soon as Shawn took a seat on her sofa, she seemed to feel more comfortable and knew instantly that the shock had worn off and now her voice would work again.

"It really is no imposition. Actually I was kicked out of the hospital so that I could be here for your call. Having you stop by here makes even more sense. Gives me some company."

As soon as the words left her mouth she realized how desperate she must sound. Given her situation though, could anything less be expected? She really didn't have time for social warfare with people, and with her job as hard as it was, it really left no time at all for anything more then being with her daughter, which they understood changed constantly.

"Actually I'm glad you look at it that way because with the way my career works, I don't get a whole lot of time to be Shawn. I seem to always be in character and it gets tiring after awhile. Especially at my age."

She just stared at him as he spoke. She took in his features, the life lines on his forehead and the crystal coloring in his eyes. She also noticed the small smile he always seemed to wear, which was a sign of someone who seemed content with their life and wanted to show it. It wasn't cocky the way a lot of men were in these days, and it was refreshing for her to meet someone like her in that respect.

But the more he spoke, the more she wondered just how old he was supposed to be? Surely he couldn't be more then 35, which was two years older then herself. He didn't look a day over if he was and that was also a good thing. He seemed to age well.

"If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?" she asked, thinking better of it but knowing she couldn't take the words back.

"42. Just turned in July actually. Why do you ask?"

She blushed then and realized that it had been way to long since she had done anything even remotely close to blushing. Another sign that she was way to busy with her life and her daughter to care what she felt anymore.

"You don't look a day over 35. I suppose I just wanted to see how close I was to your actual age. Seems I'm not as good a teller as I used to be." she laughed lightly and following suit shortly after was Shawn, making Cailyn feel even more comfortable with the man. Maybe there was something to her daughters claims that he was one of the best around. He sure seemed to be the most personable.

"Is Langston aware that I want to visit her without the crews around?" Shawn asked, changing the subject as the laughter died down. He didn't want to seem more interested in business then just casual talking but he had to admit, that was what he had come here for.

"Yes she is. Actually she's the one that kicked me out earlier. Said it was important that I take your call more then stay with her for her treatment."

"Does it hurt her at all, these treatments?"

She just nodded, not trusting herself not to cry when asked about anything regarding her daughters condition. That was always how it was and it was interesting that just because the man was nice it hadn't changed at all. She was an emotional mess when it came to the sickness and her daughter.

"It does which is why I feel like a horrible mother for leaving her there all this time without me. I should really be there with her and I don't think I will feel right until I am back there again and I can see for myself that shes stronger then I give myself credit for."

Shawn nodded and then put his hand to his mouth, as if thinking over something important. She had herself done that before so she knew the look as he did so.

"Well then what are we sitting around here for?" he asked, finally removing his hand from his face and looking in her direction, all hint of laughter and fun gone.

"Excuse me?"

"Well if you want to be there with her and I was the reason that you weren't, well why don't we go back there now and be with her the way you wanted to all this time? I mean surely being with your daughter is better then sitting here staring at me. We can kill two birds with one stone. I can meet the famous Langston and you can care for your baby."

She let the wave of shock set in as he spoke and she realized that there was really nothing else she would rather be doing in that moment then being beside her daughter through her long treatment. If Shawn was willing to accompany her there and was willing to meet with her, even calling her famous, then surely he was right and it did beat sitting around talking about doing something.

"I'm ready when you are." She said, getting to her feet and then extending her own small hand to help him off of the sofa. It was a gesture that a man would normally do for a woman and not the other way around but it was something that Cailyn felt comfortably with and when Shawn took her hand, it made it even more gratifying.

"So tell me, whats Langston's favorite thing in the world that she hasn't been able to have since entering the hospital? Well aside from the obvious team of her mother and her favorite WWE superstar."

She smiled and as they made their way out the door of the house, Cailyn locking it up securely behind her, she realized what would really make her little girls night, aside from having Shawn Michaels there with her.

"You know what? Her favorite thing in the world is ice cream and its a total no-no in the hospital with all of the tests and machines and so forth."

"Favorite flavor?"

"Rocky road or Cookie Dough. She goes silly for both of those. Can I ask why you want to know?"

"Because Mom," he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walking with her down the front porch steps. "We are going to give her the best night of her life, and when its all said and done, she is going to be extremely happy to have such a cool mother. Just as I am to have such a gracious host."


	4. Chapter 4

Cailyn and Shawn entered the hospital, clearly on a mission as they took the long corridors as quickly as they could, ice cream threatening to spill through the inside of Shawn's jacket. He had known it would be better to come more prepared, having known it would come down to sneaking the ice cream into the young girls room, but it had all happened too quickly.

As they passed the nurses station at the floor Langston was staying on, Shawn let out a sigh of relief. It was only the small effort of bringing ice cream to a sick child but it felt like such a covert mission.

As Cailyn went into the room, ready to speak with her daughter, Shawn leaned against the wall, cold ice cream seeping in through his shirt, causing the hairs on his chest to raise up. He tried to not meet anyone's eye but was having a hell of a time looking anything but silly.

It was only when he felt a tap on his shoulder that he realized he had been made. As he turned around, he willed the guilty face away as best he could. Laying eyes on the young nurse that was now looking at him, a smile playing on her lips he couldn't do anything but smile.

"You know bringing that in here is against the rules." the young woman said, smile gone from her face and her cheeks built up in a serious knot.

"Yes I do but you see the girl just wanted to have one small taste of her favorite-' he was cut off in mid sentence then by the same nurse who had caught him and given him a stern look moments before.

"Go on in but you had better do it quick before the doctors come back for another round of tests. If they catch you, that smile won't be able to get you out of it. They may remove you."

She walked away then, but not before shooing him into the hospital room. Before he knew it he was knocking on the door and awaiting entrance, more to get in and away from the nurse then anything else.

"Hello Langston." he said as he turned around and was directly across the room from the sick girl he was promising to visit.

He took her in, looking at her not the way that her family or the doctors might, but to look at her like the child she was and how so out of life she seemed. Her features were gaunt and there was no denying this young girl was in the hardest of pain. Her eyes were bright though and really taking a look at them, he realized he had seen those same two eyes somewhere else recently.

On her mother Cailyn. She had her mothers eyes and as he looked at them now, he realized these were eyes that you could open your soul too and everything really would be alright. These were telling eyes and these were eyes he hadn't been able to get out of his mind since he had come in contact with them the first time.

"Is it really you? Mom said you were here but I didn't believe her."

Shawn moved closer to the bed and then sat down in the stool that was placed off to the side, most likely by a nurse having to administer more drugs to the young and failing body. "It's really me Langston. I heard so much about you from your mother, I just had come and see you for myself."

As the girls features, which were almost graying in color turned brighter at the sound of his voice and his words, as her eyes seemed ready to light the brightest of fires and a smile enveloped her face, it made his heart warm inside his chest. HE always knew that the WWE had some really big fans but it was only when you say the Make a Wish kids and seen the fight they had to deal with each and every day while at least the WWE got the break, that you realized who the real hero's were.

"You're my favorite wrestler ever! I can't believe they got you to come here."

"Well actually, you have your mother to thank for that one Langston. She came and told me what a trooper you were and it was just so amazing. So I had to come and bring you this." He pulled the cookie dough ice cream out from behind his jacket, giving her side of the cardboard to her mother to pass along. "I couldn't wait for the other people to make the date, I had to come and see you myself."

"Does all of that wrestling you do hurt?" Langston asked, her mind a flurry of questions she had, things she wanted to do and places she wanted to go. She had so much she wanted to say to the man that was in front of her now but did not have the first clue where to start. This was the best day she had ever had in her life. The pain from the radiation was a distant memory. It was all worth it for this one moment.

"It does actually but there is nothing else in this world I can do as good as I can do that. So I put up with the pain." He smiled at her before beginning again. "Sort of reminds me of another little fighter I know."

"Who?" she asked, willing herself to sit up in the bed despite the pain, so she could hear this man, this person she had idolized forever talk in front of her very eyes.

And her mother had gotten him there!

"You darhlin. You are your own wrestler because even with all these treatments."

"Me really?" she asked, now so excited that her ice cream was starting to warm and run even more, a little bit going down her hands.

"Yes you really. Your mother knew you had all of this hard things to go through tonight and she also knew she didn't want you to go through them alone. Seeing as I came into town to talk with her anyway, we though we would get you your favorite ice cream and be here to cheer on your strength."

Cailyn watched Shawn with her daughter and how enamored she seemed with him in that moment and she could feel herself tearing up at how beautiful it was. She had seen Langston happy only a few times since her condition worsened and it had ended her in the hospital and they always seemed to have to do with Shawn Michaels and now the man was here and he was making her daughter happy in real time.

"You really came all the way here to see my mom about coming to see me?"

Shawn nodded and Langston did her best to bounce in the bed with glee. Cailyn watched her, wanting to tell her daughter that she needed to stay calm, but also knowing there wasn't a chance she was going to do that. She was just too far gone and after spending two moments with him, she was feeling sort of the same way.

"I seriously did. I think you're rather amazing Ms. Langston Morrison."

Langston blushed as the door swept open and another nurse and doctor came strolling in. Shawn moved out of the way, thankful that Langston had gobbled up the ice cream in record time of the spill on her hand because he hadn't wanted to deal with the looks the doctor would give him, or for that matter give Cailyn for allowing it to begin with.

Cailyn motioned to Shawn, pulling him lightly by the arm to tag him along with her. It was obviously a routine that both girl and mother were used too because there wasn't so much as a goodbye said, at least not loudly enough that he could hear it. When they finally reached the hall, Cailyn opened up and explained.

"They are about to take her for another round of tests. I'm so used to it now that it doesn't even make me turn to the door anymore when someone comes in. It's like clockwork around here."

Shawn motioned for the bench just down the hallway a bit, wanting to talk with her more but also wanted to sit down and relax with it at the same time. After the running around he had done getting a flight out earlier today he really was starting to feel the need to sit again.

"This is really hard on you isn't it?" he asked, knowing full well what they answer would be but knowing differently. Her face looked almost as worn as her daughters, which mean a lot of sleepless nights for this younger woman. If she said it wasn't hard she was lying.

"Extremely hard. Do you have children?"

"Yes I have two children. Cameron and Cheyenne."

"Then you must know that when one or the both of them get sick, that you want to do everything in your power to make them better right? Well with me and Langston, I want to make her better but there isn't a way that I can. So I try and do what it takes to make her as comfortable as she can be right now."

Shawn sat in silence for a moment, really taking in what she was telling him now and knowing that if it had been one of his kids he would have been the same way as Cailyn. There was nothing more important in this life then his children and he knew that he would most certainly kill himself if it meant they would be okay.

"She really loves you Cailyn. I can see it in her eyes when I talk to her. You've done right by her in every way imaginable and thats something I don't say often in these cases."

Cailyn looked up at him when he said the words, taken aback that he had gotten that much from her and her daughter after only being with them for mere minutes. Most of which no one had really said anything more then just how cool it was to have him here. It meant something to her, hearing it though. Maybe it wasn't going unnoticed after all. Maybe she was being the best mother she could.

"When Langston was diagnosed, my heart stopped and I really never thought it would beat again. Turns out she has been of a strong parent type then me through this entire thing. She's taught me a thing or two. She's the reason my heart is beating again."

Shawn sat on her words again, noticing how highly she thought of her little girl, despite what was ravaging her body at that point. He knew he had made the right choice coming here before the rest of the world knew and he knew that after it was all said and done, he would come back again.

There was something about her, Langston that made him want to keep coming back. There was such an innocence there that made him want to keep fighting just like her mother did for as long as it took. He did not want to see this little girl pass on when she should be living forever.

What he thought of most though as her mother spoke was that he really wanted to be here for Cailyn too. In the purest form possible he liked what he felt when he was around her. While he wasn't sure how to define it, he knew that it was something that you didn't come close to having too many times in a lifetime and he didn't want to take this time for granted.

He put his arm around her on the bench, more out of caring then instinct or need and when she pulled in and put her head on his chest, in that moment he knew the one thing he hadn't known until that point.

His heart was a goner.


	5. Chapter 5

Cailyn has gone back into the hospital room after a few minutes of allowing him the pleasure of holding onto her; comforting her. She was more then just a little bit concerned about her daughter and Shawn innately felt the same way. He knew that if this was his kids, in any way shape of form, he would bend the Earth to do what it took to save them. While Cailyn knew that she was so far gone from saving, the woman did not want to give in and give up. He could tell it just wasn't in her vocabulary.

Sitting in the seat, and watching all of the candles of the chapel around him, each one burning a prayer for a sick patient or family member he was hit with instant regret. When he had been there with Rebecca for the birth of their son Cameron all those years ago, he had sworn that he would never the wrestling lifestyle he had lived get in the way. But here he was now, brought in with the Make a Wish foundation and Cheyenne was now two. He had allowed the one thing he had promised against and it almost brought tears to his eyes.

He had always made himself out to be the best parent he could be. He was nowhere near perfect but he knew that it was the special moments with the kids, the bike riding, the book reading that meant more then the actual time clock of time he spent with them. But now, watching the strength that Cailyn seemed to display, while working at a job and spending every other moment of her life here in the hospital with Langston, he knew he didn't come close to being the best parent he could be. What Cailyn was doing now was true devotion and he was nowhere close to it.

Not wanting to wallow in his own darkness, he stood and left the chapel, this time an idea forming in his mind and one that would not rest until he dealt with it. Not only was this going to be a life changing time in his own life, but he was going to make sure it was for a lot of other people. His kid, Cailyn and Langston included. While he didn't know exactly how to go about it, he just knew deep down that he had too. Which is what brought him to the pay phone, where he finally stopped.

Picking up the receiver, he dialed the familiar number and waited until the person he needed for this task picked up the phone. He knew what he was now going to attempt was a long shot but he had been through long shots before and he was still kicking. He was going to do this and do it right.

"Hello?" the voice said as he coughed through the phone receiver right into Shawn's ear. The one thing you could always depend on with Hunter was to always be out of breath and his throat taken to extremes. This time was no different and Shawn was thankful.

"Hunter its Shawn. Listen I know you want to do nothing more then get off the phone right now but I need your help."

Hunter spoke again and as he did, Shawn could tell it was much more focused and clear. "Help with what? Shawn what the hell did you get yourself into this time?"

He wanted to laugh at his friends words but he knew that with him, Hunter was right. There was always something Shawn seemed to do one way or another, usually always well intentioned that got him into more trouble then he intended. This wasn't one of those times but given the way Shawn was taking, Hunter had to assume it was.

"I didn't get into anything. Just hear me out alright?"

He continued to explain to his best friend just what he wanted to do and what he needed Hunter to do for him in the meantime. He also let his friend know his exact location and after listening to Hunter freak out about not following protocol, he laid the rest of the idea out.

"Now I know it might not work given that I don't know hospital policy but man, you aren't here. If you were, you would see why I need to do this so badly. Why this girl needs this and her mother too."

Hunter laughed then and Shawn wasn't sure how to take it. He knew Hunter well, probably better then anyone else in the world minus his wife and never once had Hunter laughed this way after something this serious. There had to be more going on here. Little did he know he was about to find out.

"It always come back to a woman right?" Hunter said, his voice still containing the last bits of laughter.

"Its about more then a woman Hunter. For once this isn't about me looking to score a date. This is about me doing the right thing by a family that I think deserves it. It also would help me a lot in terms of my own relations with my kids. So do you think you can do what I asked of you?"

After a few seconds of silence, and Shawn waiting with baited breath through the entire thing, Hunter answered and gave Shawn the information he needed to hear.

"I can do it Shawn but you had better make sure the hospital can do this. Because if they can't then there really isn't a point to this at all and you're only going to hurt people and yourself."

"I know and I plan on checking into that right now."

"I love you like my own brother man but sometimes when your heart is this open to someone, it ends up badly and I just want you to make sure you know what you are doing before you go too deeply into it here. This mother and her daughter adore the ground you walk on right now, but that could change in an instant if something bad happens."

He knew what Hunter was saying was correct and he knew that whatever he planned to do here, he had to always make sure that Cailyn and Langston were taken care of and that he didn't get their hopes up only to get them thrown down again. Neither of them needed that and he was going to do his best to make sure that didn't happen.

As he hung up with his friend, he played Hunters words over in his head again for emphasis. He needed to make sure this wasn't just some fly by night thought and that he really could follow through with this for himself, for that family he was here to be a part of something bigger with and also his own kids. There could be no do overs and he didn't plan on needing any.

He was going to make Langston's dream come true and if he didn't, he was going to die trying.

* * *

After speaking with the doctors, getting any necessary paperwork and planning out of the way, he headed back to the hospital room. He was sure that Langston and Cailyn even would assume he would have left, and the reaction he got when he walked back in silently and stood near the young girls bed told him that much.

"We thought you had left, given that you have already been here for hours." Cailyn said letting him know what he had already assumed. He was thankful that she was considerate enough to admit it and he just shrugged it off the way it needed to be. While they did not know him, only from what they knew of him on television, he was going to prove them wrong. Shawn Michaels did not walk away when the going got tough, nor did he walk away when people assumed he should. He stood there, like a man in battle and never backed down. In this case especially.

"Langston," she said, breaking off as he watched the girl look at with him happy but tired eyes. "If you could have one thing, not a material possession, but a real thing, what would it be?"

The young girl seemed to take the question seriously because her brow knitted and went into think mode instantly. He knew that this young woman, even at such a tender age, would answer him the way he expected and he was not mistaken when she did open her mouth to speak.

"To be a normal kid again. To be out of the hospital and to get the chance to just enjoy my life."

Cailyn shot Shawn a look, one that was mixed with love at the more adult answer her daughter had given, and also confused as to where Shawn was going with this. She wanted to come right out and ask but knew better. She knew that questioning anything where this man was concerned was only asking for wasted time because all would eventually be revealed.

"What if I told you that I can give you that?" he asked Langston again, noticing Cailyn's look but choosing not to deal with it right in that moment. This moment right now was about Langston first and he was going to treat it as such."

"You are silly. You aren't God! You can't get me out of here."

Shawn sat down then and moved the stool closer to where Langston was now sitting up in bed again. With a small whisper he came to her ear and he told her exactly how he was going to give her this dream, this last thing that she wanted more then anything in this life. He knew she was right in that he wasn't God but he was able to give her one last wish if her time was coming to an end. In fact he could more then do it, he was going to do it.

"Mama did you hear what he said?" she exclaimed, almost knocking Shawn back with the shrill tone of a young girl excited. It was evident that she had taken what Shawn had said and she was about to run with it. In a way, to this young girl, Langston Morrison, he really was going to be her Savior.

"No honey what did Shawn say?" Cailyn shot back, throwing a look of serious concern in Shawn's direction. Whatever he was promising her daughter upset her because he didn't understand what a promise this big could do to a girl that was this sick. Cailyn had been there, had sat through treatment after treatment and she knew that a surprise this big could really crush her daughter. Something she just did not want and would not stand for."

"Can you tell her Mr. Shawn?"

Shawn smiled at the use of the Mr in front of his name, thankful that the young girl had more manners then most teenagers and adults he knew and then proceeded to nod his head.

"I have cleared everything with the hospital and as soon as you can get what you all need packed, I am bringing the two of you back to my home in San Antonio Texas, where Langston here will get to live the life of a real princess and most of all, she will get to be a real kid again and not some sick girl and another statistic in this hospital."

Cailyn's mouth dropped open as he spoke, shocked that he had been so touched by their family that he would be willing to do this. After the shock started to wear off though, common sense came back with a flash and brought her back to reality.

"She needs the machines, the treatments. Shawn as nice an idea as this is, you cannot possibly give us all of that. Langston needs to be here."

Shawn shook his head, letting her know she was wrong without saying the words.

"Cailyn, I have more then enough money to get the best machines and Doctors in this entire world to be there with Langston and thats exactly what I've already put in motion to do. She will have everything she needs and she will get to live this dream. I know you're frightened and you think I must be short a few bricks but darling, I am completely sane and I WANT to do this."

He eyed her and when she didn't say anything for a few minutes he attempted to push her again. "Will you allow me the pleasure of doing this for your daughter, and most of all for you?"

Cailyn looked at Shawn, for the first time not looking through the man that seemed larger then life, and then looked at her daughter, whose eyes were so bright that Cailyn knew she couldn't say no. If Shawn was telling her that everything would be taken care of, then she had to believe it, for Langston.

"Yes Shawn, if you really want to do this and need to do this then we are not going to say no."

Langston jumped then, using all her energy of which there was so little to show her enthusiasm for what was about to take place. To what her mother had just agreed too.

"Well Langston, be prepared to spend a lot of time in my house and most of all, be prepared to meet two very small people who will be more then happy to have you there with them."


End file.
